Taking on a top telly job is not always a bowl of cherries. And when the previous incumbent left under the murky cloud of alleged misconduct, one might say it’s something of a poisoned chalice. The new talent must be squeaky-clean yet skilled enough to make the viewers – and everyone else involved in the show, for that matter – instantly forget about their predecessor.
It’s tricky… but if anyone can do it, Saturday Kitchen’s Matt Tebbutt can.
“Stepping into someone’s TV shoes is a difficult position to be in,” admits Matt, while being careful not to mention Gregg Wallace by name after the TV greengoer’s sacking from Masterchef in July.
“But I did it before – under totally different circumstances, of course – when James Martin left Saturday Kitchen. I just try and make my own mark without making too many waves. I’ll be as safe as houses on Masterchef: The Professionals!’
The odds are he’ll also be a rip-roaring success. Matt’s one of the nicest people on the box – easy-going, laid-back and funny. A natural presenter who absolutely knows his (food) stuff. But what will this classically trained chef, who built a celebrated restaurant business before pivoting to a successful television career, be like as a judge appraising the work of fellow culinary professionals? After all, his show colleagues Marcus Wareing and Monica Galetti are known to be very critical on occasion.
“It’s fair to say the ‘Good Cop’ would apply here,” laughs Matt. ‘My two grown-up kids, for instance, call me ‘GI Dad’ but the ‘GI’ refers to ‘give in’ rather than the GI Joe reference that I’d hoped they meant. Seriously, though, I think I’ll be pretty fair but expect high standards – after all some of these contestants are at the top of their game.
“It’s all been very exciting and I was very chuffed to be picked for The Professionals. I was pretty surprised to be honest but I think they wanted to get someone with as much experience as possible so they could drop them in at the deep end! And the fact that my name also begins with a “M” maybe helps. A bit of alliteration never hurts.”
Seriously, though, did he spend hours deliberating whether to take the job? Weighing up the pros and cons?
“What cons?” he shoots back. “I accepted immediately. It would have been crazy not to. It’s an amazing international brand and loved by millions! The good jobs are few and far between these days in TV. Monica and Marcus – whom I knew a bit beforehand – have taken me under their wing and I’m trying not to ruffle any feathers!”
As if! Matt is the least-likely feather ruffler we can imagine. Making the show isn’t without its challenges for him, though.
“It is quite a learning curve switching from a live show like Saturday Kitchen to a pre-record like Masterchef: The Professionals. It’s a new experience for me. But the Masterchef team have been amazing, and Marcus and Monica are a great support. I can’t wait for it to be broadcast. It will be soon but there’s no official date as yet. It’s to be confirmed.”
Meanwhile he’s keeping busy. Very busy. In addition to his regular Saturday Kitchen gig which he intends to keep on doing – in his words “Rattling the pots about on a Saturday for as long as they’ll have me”, as we speak, he’s preparing for the world-famous Stranraer Oyster Festival.
The fest celebrates the start of the Scottish native oyster season – specifically those harvested in the nearby Loch Ryan. The loch is famous for being home to Scotland’s last remaining wild native oyster fishery and the festival takes place in the town every September – this coming weekend this year, in fact. Matt’s travelling north of the border immediately after tomorrow’s Saturday Kitchen.
“It will literally be planes, trains and automobiles, via Glasgow. I always have a seriously early start on Saturday mornings but as my wife Lisa will tell you, I can sleep anywhere so will be power-napping en-route. At the festival, I’m doing cookery demos, food chats and also a book-signing of my latest recipe book Matt Tebbutt’s Pub Food: 100 Favourites, Old and New which was published last year.
“The story of Loch Ryan’s native oysters is remarkable. You’ve got this incredible natural resource that’s been sustainably managed for centuries and now it’s the heart of a festival that’s brought a whole community together. That’s exactly the kind of food story I want to be part of. And I love oysters! Whether they’re served in their natural state with a squeeze of lemon or traditional style with shallot vinegar and Tabasco or deep fried with spicy mayonnaise. . . Absolutely delicious. When we had the restaurant, we served Bloody Mary oyster shots as a pre-starter and they were madly popular. The most oysters I’ve eaten in one go? Maybe two dozen? You lose count after a while, it’s probably the white wine chasers.”
Preparing the molluscs to munch on – or rather slip down the throat – can be a dangerous business, though. You need to be a skilled ‘shucker’.
“I’m not bad at shucking oysters. A proper knife and a heavy-duty oven cloth is a vital part of the necessary kit to avoid dangerous slippage and cutting yourself. I haven’t injured myself shucking which is surprising as I’ve a fair few kitchen scars.”
When he’s not in the kitchen, we can’t help wondering what Matt likes to cook and eat at home in Monmouthshire. Does he ever just fancy beans on toast?
“Sardines on toast, more like. I’m very into tinned fish in general with good quality tomatoes and garlic bruschetta. Otherwise, my snack food is crab sticks. Don’t ask what they’re made of. I’m also partial to the occasional Zinger Tower from KFC. It’s my guilty pleasure. I’m not talking every day – we all know that kind of thing is not very good for us – but I think it’s fine every now-and-then.
“In fact, I’d say it’s good for the soul. When I’m cooking at home, I usually make everything from scratch – apart from stock – but you’re talking much easier dishes and simpler ingredients than you get in a restaurant environment. One of my favourite things to cook and eat is Welsh lamb, with Jersey mash and marsh samphire.
“Good food is about sourcing really good ingredients and not mucking around with them too much. I’m not into foams or mousses – I like flavour and simplicity. You don’t need to do much when the produce is that good. It’s usually just me in the kitchen. I put my music on and get chopping.
“The wife will cook occasionally but she claims she’s forgotten how after years of living above the restaurant. Lisa complains about my portion control – I cook for six even when there’s only the two of us. Most of our friends and family are big foodies so they love coming to ours but they do get a bit twitchy about having us back and cooking for me. I’m always just grateful to be cooked for as it doesn’t tend to happen that often.”
Back to Saturday Kitchen and there are a few people Matt, 51, would love to welcome onto the show.
“The Princess of Wales, for one. Love Kate. In fact, I’m pretty impressed by the Royal Family in general. They work bloody hard. Princess Anne would also be a top guest, I think. I would love some more music types on as well. Tom Odell and Loyle Carner were both great fun. I heard Tom Jones sometimes tunes in to Saturday Kitchen. Now to have him on. . . That would be great, wouldn’t it?’
So, if you’re reading this, Sir Tom. . .
www.stranraeroysterfestival.com